Fike hook



Oct. 15, 1935.

C. E.. .McGHEE FIRE HOOK Filed April 16, 1935 Patented st. 15, 1935 its FFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in fire hooks such as is used by firefighters to tear away a portion of theceiling of a room to determine whether the fire is passing between the ceiling 5 and the floor of the room above.

In the removing of the portion of the ceiling the hook is forced through the ceiling, turned so as not to come back out and pulled to remove a portion of the ceiling. Ceilings are sometimes made with a lining of heavy tin or expanded metal, and with the usual type of hook, which consists of a spear head and a slightly curved hook which extends horizontally from the spear head at a point about to 9 inches below the point of the spear, it was necessary in most ceilings to puncture a row of holes in the ceiling with the spear before it was possible to force the hook through the said ceiling. The room where such a hook is used is usually smoky and hot and the 20 time consumed for such operations is consider able.

One object of my invention is to make a fire or ceiling hook in which the hook part may be more effectively and easily passed through the ceiling and which will enable one to tear away a portion of the ceiling more quickly and efliciently.

Other advantages will be at once apparent to those familiar with the use of firefighting tools.

A preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is aside elevation of my improved hook, Figure 2 is an end elevation of a portion of the same and Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

The hook consists ofa handle, I, on which is attached a metal head, 2. The head consists of a socket, 3, by which it is attached to the handle, a triangular portion, 4, and a pointed portion 5. One side, 6, of said triangular portion is on a line with the handle, one side, 1, extends at right angles to the side 6 and turns downward slightly at the end to form a hook. The third side, 8, of the triangular portion extends between the tip of the hook and the pointed portion of the head.

$5 The pointed portion, 5, preferably extends beyond the point made by the intersection of the sides 6 and 8 though this is by no means necessary. .The side 8 is beveled as shown by Figure 3 so as to form a cutting edge. The side I is not sharpened in any way and is curved very little 5 except at the very tip so that a maximum of surface is supplied whereby the hook cannot be removed Without bringing a portion of the ceiling with it.

In the preferredform the hook portion extends 10 laterally approximately 3-6 inches and the distance between the tip of the point and the inside of the hook portion is from' 4-8 inches, preferably 6 inches,-this length furnishing a comparatively long triangular portion which is easy to force through the ceiling and at the same time this is not so long that the floor above the ceiling will interfere or be damaged.

Numerous variations and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, instead of a solid metal head there may be merely a point and a hook with a separate piece of metal extending between the two.

Having now fully explained the invention, I

head, one side of the pointed portion being substantially in alignment with the first mentioned side of the head, the other side of the pointed portion being inclined at an angle to the second mentioned side of the head, the head having a sharpened edge extending between the tip of the hook and the base of the pointed portion.

CURTIS E. MCGHEE. 5 

